CHANDIGARH, India, June 23 — The Punjab State Food Commission and the non-profit institution Regenerating Punjab launched two major environmental initiatives on Tuesday aimed at reversing critical soil degradation and safeguarding the region’s food supply.
The new programmes, titled the “Jeevit Mitti Mission” (Living Soil Mission) and “Dharti Diyan Dhiyan” (Daughters of the Earth), are part of the state’s broader “Mitti to Thali” (From Soil to Plate) campaign introduced in April to link agricultural sustainability directly with public nutrition.
Bal Mukand Sharma, chairman of the food commission, warned during a stakeholder meeting that Punjab’s soil organic matter has plummeted to just 0.5 percent, far below the 5 percent required to sustain essential micronutrients in crops. He stressed that agricultural viability, water security, public health, and climate resilience are deeply interconnected.
The strategy relies heavily on community-led conservation. The “Dharti Diyan Dhiyan” initiative will select and train 100 women across Punjab’s 23 districts to act as ecological leaders and “Soil Regeneration Champions” within their communities.
“We need a regenerative revolution,” said Sumeet Sandhu, founder of Regenerating Punjab. Sandhu outlined plans to form specialized working groups focused on ecology, water systems, farmer livelihoods, and market value chains. The institution will also conduct a comprehensive statewide soil vulnerability assessment to map out degraded zones.
As part of the initial rollout, a dedicated soil testing laboratory has already been established as a test case in Gholian Kalan, a village in the Moga district.
To drive widespread rural engagement, the state plans to introduce the “Soil Cup,” a village-level competition that will financially reward communities that successfully improve their local soil and environment. The campaign will also introduce educational programs in schools to train children as environmental custodians.
The launch event was attended by key stakeholders, including Regenerating Punjab Co-Founder Arindam Mookherjee, retired Punjab Town Planning Director M.S. Aujla, Gholian Kalan Sarpanch Ekampreet Singh, and organic farmer Chamkaur Singh.
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